24 Sep WHEN SORROW ATTACKS: 3 Conscious Ways to Face Pain

There’s an old hunter’s adage that goes, “Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear gets you.” There are rules when it comes to grizzly bears. If you trespass on their territory or come near their cubs, they’ll attack. Unfortunately, human beings sometimes wander right into their path without even knowing it.

Like the bear, your sorrows, your pain, and your grief can also strike when you least expect it. You suffer through a sudden breakup, the loss of a job, or a falling out with a friend. Suddenly old wounds from the past stalk you on a daily basis. You can fight these feelings either by persistently replaying the events in your head or by trying to run away from your agony as if it never happened. However, the heartaches you continually relive will keep you trapped in discord and turmoil, preventing you from living your life to the fullest and realizing your Soul Signature.

If you have been dwelling in the sadness of hurt feelings, reliving the wounds of former relationships, or sprinting from the emotional, physical, and spiritual ache of bitter disappointment, it’s time to deal with the pain as you would a charging grizzly bear- with courage, kindness, and smarts.

Rule 1: Don’t Run

A grizzly can run faster than 30 miles an hour so chances are you cannot outrun the bear. Running away from an uncomfortable issue, shutting down your feelings, or numbing your sorrow with other vices will all catch up to you sooner or later. When they do, your avoidance will only have made matters worse. Just as you can’t outrun a grizzly, you can’t outrun your heartbreak. Your vibrational energy is better spent facing your sadness, not attempting to escape it.

Rule 2: Let Go

If a grizzly confronts you, resistance is useless. Your only option is to accept what is happening. Lie flat, stay quiet, don’t move. Similarly, when you’re in the midst of your turmoil, hit the ground and feel what you are feeling. Like a bear’s powerful claws, life’s disappointments and setbacks can be excruciating, but if you let the hurt wash through you and accept that sorrow is a part of living, the wounds will be more manageable in the long run. When you surrender and stop beating yourself up, dwelling in the past, or trying to dominate your misery, the healing process begins.

Rule 3: Remain Still

Once the bear backs off, stay quiet and motionless. Grizzlies will often watch from a distance and return if they see movement.  Sadness can do the same thing. We may think we are perfectly fine and can resume our normal routine without anyone knowing our anguish, however pretending you’re okay when you’re not only makes the discomfort return stronger than ever. It’s important to make room for stillness and spaciousness during tough times so you’re able to experience everything you need to feel. Your instincts will tell you when you’re ready to move on.

Courageously facing your pain can seem terrifying at first. But when you allow your past and present sorrows to flow through you, pain releases its grip and you’re free to live your greatest expression.

Some days you will indeed get the bear, but the bear does not have to get you.